Radiosurgery

Stereotactic radiosurgery does not actually involve surgery. It is a noninvasive method of delivering a precise dose of intense radiation to a tumor. The radiation damages the DNA of tumor cells, stopping the cells from growing, and thus, destroying them. Stereotactic radiosurgery offers an important alternative for many brain tumors, both benign and malignant, which have traditionally been treated through complicated invasive surgical procedures. Stereotactic treatment uses beams of radiation conformed to the three-dimensional shape of the tumor without damaging the nearby normal tissue. This treatment technique can reach virtually any area within the brain, including those that cannot be accessed with conventional surgery.